Animal products are sourced from fasted and drug naïve laboratory animals, bred under closely defined conditions to ensure quality and minimise batch-to-batch variation. The extensive product range from numerous species includes tissues, serum, plasma, whole blood, liver microsomes and liver S9 factor and is featured in a new 2010 BioProducts brochure now available upon request.

An extremely broad selection of human material specification options are available, giving access to virtually bespoke samples. In addition to a full range of human tissues, Sera Lab provides serum, plasma, whole blood or other bodily fluids, such as CSF, synovial fluid, breast milk, urine etc. All normal human material sourced by Sera Lab is collected from FDA registered donor collection facilities and meet current standards for viral testing. Disease state samples are collected through an extensive network of medical offices, reference laboratories and collection facilities, Sera Lab can meet all customer requirements, whatever their area of research. Samples may also be collected prospectively using existing IRB permits, allowing multiple time-point collections or matched sets of multiple tubes.

A detailed certificate of analysis accompanies every human sample supplying the age and gender of each donor. Additional clinical information and details as to medication may be requested at the time of order. Disease state panels from multiple donors in custom aliquot sizes are also available. The Company’s comprehensive inventory of Disease State Material is sourced from clinical diagnostic laboratories as remnant specimens that are de-linked from their original source.

Rare human plasma is also collected by Sera Lab from stringently screened donors. Qualifying donors are only selected after receiving a complete physical examination and passing all the required viral marker tests using FDA Approved methodology. For further customer convenience, these collected plasmas can be supplied either as a whole unit, or in small volumes (minimum 10 mL).

For more information email sales@seralab.co.uk or visit www.seralab.co.uk

The ThermoFlex chiller platform was developed with customer input from concept to design. The result is an easy to use, low maintenance, high performance chiller platform configurable to the most demanding applications. Each chiller includes water filters that can be changed while the unit is in operation and an intuitive user interface for ease of operation. End-users benefit from a quick start guide for seamless start-up in minutes.

Designed as a modular platform, the ThermoFlex line offers a wide variety of options and cooling capacities that can be configured for diverse applications in markets such as aerospace, industrial, laser, medical, printing and semiconductor processing. For more information, visit www.thermoscientifc.com/thermoflex.

For information about the comprehensive line of Thermo Scientific Temperature Control products, including HAAKE and NESLAB recirculating baths, chillers and heat exchangers, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/tc.

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.

Dolomite has therefore carried out a number of tests to compare the size consistency of droplets formed by the Mitos P-Pump with market leading syringe pumps. Droplets of water-in-oil were generated on a 100µm sized X-Junction, using each of the pump technologies. The droplet diameter from a continuous stream was measured using image analysis software. The resulting data demonstrated that the Mitos P-Pump provides a coefficient of variation in the droplet diameter of less than 0.6%, compared with 5.5% for the leading syringe pump. Its precise pressure-driven pumping mechanism delivers liquid with a smooth and even flow, whereas even the best motor drives and mechanics of a syringe pump have slight non-linearities, which cause unwanted pulsation. The Mitos P-Pump technology therefore provides the best solution for droplet formation applications.

To download the complete study, and for further information on the Mitos P-Pump as well as Dolomite’s portfolio of microfluidic products, including chips, connectors/interconnects, pumps, valves and flow sensors, please visit www.dolomite-microfluidics.com.

“Expanding our manufacturing facility in Shanghai to include the production of the 1300 Series A2 biological safety cabinets is a great benefit to Chinese laboratories,” said Tom Loewald, president of the Laboratory Equipment Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Our customers will experience faster delivery times as well as lower cost, while still receiving the same high-quality product.”

Designed for superior safety, comfort, and energy efficiency, the 1300 Series A2 biological safety cabinet uses DC motor technology to reduce operating costs as much as 75 percent compared to traditional biological safety cabinets. DC motors also offer intelligent speed control, ensuring the highest level of safety for the laboratory environment. Other advanced features include the unique SmartFlow™ and Digital Airflow Verification (DAVe) systems, which provide superior containment and best-in-class energy efficiency, making the 1300 Series A2 biological safety cabinet beneficial for the user and the environment.

For further information, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/bsc

Mirrorball is the first microplate cytometer to offer simultaneous laser scanning, enabling superior multiplexing and resulting in higher throughput single pass scanning. Filling a critical role by rapidly and reliably performing mix-and–read, cell- or bead-based assays, the TTP LabTech Mirrorball can significantly advance the antibody discovery process. The poster ‘A Mix-and-Read Cell-Based Assay for Antibody Screening Against Epithelial Growth Factor Receptor’ will be presented by TTP LabTech during the conference, demonstrating Mirroball’s superior functionality.

Joining the new Mirrorball on stand E2 will be TTP LabTech’s world renowned mosquito® liquid handler and the Acumen® eX3 high content screening platform. Posters demonstrating the high level performance of each of these instruments will also be presented during ELRIG Drug Discovery 2010.

Visit stand E2 for more information on Mirrorball, mosquito and the Acumen eX3 or visit www.ttplabtech.com. To book a product demo please mail sales@ttplabtech.com.

In adopting a new MSC approach for delivery of its haematology services, in true partnership with HORIBA Medical and Genmed, the Health Board was looking to achieve three key aims. The delivery of a world class clinical service to its ¾ million patients being utmost, as well as the delivery of value for money and an excellent long term working relationship, based on mutual trust and understanding of all partners’ requirements.

Andrew Crowder, Directorate Manager for Laboratory Medicine and Medical Genetics at the Health Board explained, “Cardiff and Vale has a strategic intent to deliver excellence in clinical service to its patients which of course must encompass laboratory services, so we in turn were looking for the best partners, service and equipment possible. In addition to this, we were required to balance quality and cost. Prior to this new contract, we had certainly received this from HORIBA Medical under a traditional manufacturer’s ’supply and service’, giving us the absolute confidence that they could continue to deliver service excellence in combination with value for money.”

In agreeing a specific haematology MSC with HORIBA Medical and Genmed, Cardiff and Vale has accrued many benefits. With regard to cost savings, an immediate 17.5% has been saved, since VAT is fully recoverable under HMRC and NHS Compliance Unit guidelines. Andrew Crowder added, “By signing a 15 year contract, we feel that this extended time period will be a key factor in changing the traditional model of supplier and customer, meaning we can work in true partnership realising what we need now and in the future. Not only do we have a bespoke, best in class deal for all of our equipment currently, as technology evolves we will have immediate access and, even input on, new developments and upgrades, ensuring our continued future clinical excellence.”

Looking to the future of the partnership, Andrew Crowder observed that there is a lot to be learnt from the mutual expertise of the partners. As an example, the Cardiff laboratories have been adopting a LEAN Thinking approach to laboratory logistical management over the past three years. As part of this, senior laboratory managers visited HORIBA Medical’s European headquarters in Montpellier, where LEAN is actively used in manufacture. “We were stunned to see LEAN fully up and running and to experience what it feels like inside a mature LEAN organisation. We are very keen to learn more from HORIBA Medical’s undoubted expertise and experience in this area. I also believe there are many other opportunities for mutual benefit to be realised from this partnership,’’ said Andrew Crowder.

Cleve Wright, UK Manager, HORIBA Medical, added, “Being the incumbent in such a prestigious centre of excellence, the award of this long-term multidisciplinary haematology contract is testament to the way in which we have worked together in partnership. It demonstrates a trust and confidence in HORIBA Medical to continue to deliver expert service and support for the next 15 years. Working closely with Genmed and other specialist partners means we are well placed to offer an excellent service, providing value for money whilst ensuring access to new technological developments throughout the term of the contract.” This new contract follows the ongoing success of another specialist MSC for haematology services that HORIBA Medical and Genmed provide to Path Links.

www.horiba.com/uk/medical

Using a specialised and improved algorithm developed exclusively for Olympus, the deconvolution solution module provides advanced, high-speed image restoration. Maximising modern PC computing capabilities, it leverages multi-core processor architectures to provide an extremely powerful deconvolution facility, enabling the sharpening of even the most blurred images. Consequently, users can obtain a fast and easy-to-use, comprehensive deconvolution, removing the complex parameter adjustment steps required with other advanced de-blurring algorithms.

The resulting high-quality image stacks can be visualised in three dimensions, using the powerful VoxelViewer to display structures and ISO projections via a simple click of the mouse. This enables more in-depth analysis, with the capability to display stereo adaptations of the image. Furthermore, the online de-blur functionality enables users to visualise the deconvoluted images during the live operation of the camera.

A broad range of image types can be deconvolved using the Olympus deconvolution solution module, including fluorescence, confocal and brightfield. With the additional capability to perform blind deconvolution, the software is able to use a theoretical point spread function (PSF), adapting it to the specific data. Furthermore, the PSF calculation can be saved and applied when performing subsequent deconvolutions. In addition, images obtained from non-Olympus systems are also easily imported, making it a highly versatile imaging solution.

cellSens Dimensions

Designed to offer control and processing for microscope-based experimental systems, the cellSens Dimensions software package provides a broad range of advanced features, as well as specialised, optional solution modules. Users can conduct a range of complex and highly sophisticated experiments, from extended focal imaging to multiple image alignment and multi-position imaging. In addition, live images can be transferred directly to the web using the netcam functionality, enabling rapid discussion with colleagues, wherever they are in the world. With the ability to control a wide range of Olympus and non-Olympus hardware, advanced and precise time-lapse experiments can be conducted, for example. The resulting time stacks, can even be put through kinetic and threshold-based object analysis. Once data has been obtained, the unique report composer uses Microsoft Word templates to generate user-defined reports that retrieve images and data directly from the cellSens database.

www.microscopy.olympus.eu

Offering powerful overhead stirring and a temperature range of -80 to +200 °C, the basic system provides automatic temperature and stirrer control, as well as pressure sensing. In addition, PED/ASME compliance, a burst disc and pressure relief valve makes the system extremely safe. Modes of operation include: manual pressure control, automatic pressure maintenance, pressure control with mass flow monitoring, mass flow control and off gas monitoring.

Control via the Atlas base can be manual or automated, enabling the simple logging of all data to a .csv file, which is easily downloadable to a USB stick. In addition, optional PC control offers advanced functionality, including the complete automation of all parameters, alarms and real-time graphs.

For further information on the Atlas Potassium Pressure System and its full range of available upgrades, including the gas selection module, pressure control module and gas flow metre, please visit www.syrris.com.

Award criteria

Ten slides were presented for analysis by several independent institutions, each of a different origin (skin, breast, kidney etc.) and staining (H&E, PAS, toluidine blue, for example). Each participating instrument was used to scan the entire area of all of the ten slides, with the resultant virtual images searched to identify three pre-determined diagnostically relevant ROIs. These were then subjectively ranked in order of image quality by the pathologists who attended the meeting.

The Olympus VS110

By combining microscopy with imaging, the VS110 scanner family offers pathologists the unique potential to create a virtual slide, which is an exact copy of the real specimen, for remote and online discussion. Through the generation of high resolution images of whole specimens, samples can be viewed and analysed from the overview image or at maximum magnification and resolution by simply zooming in. As such, the VS110 offers excellent throughput for extensive image analysis and superb documentation of tissue sections, cell cultures and even tissue microarrays.

The three models have been tailored to match different applications and workloads. The VS110-S1 entry-level system allows standard slides to be loaded manually, making ideal for educational purposes. The VS110-S5 is designed for medium workloads in routine pathology, education and research. It can hold up to five standard slides on the stage simultaneously, for semi-automated batch scanning. The VS110-L100 is engineered for high workload pathology and research environments, with the ability to hold up to 100 slides. An integrated barcode scanner reads all 1D and 2D formats, enabling the automation of slide data entry.

This economical cell culture portfolio includes 35 – 150 mm diameter dishes, multidishes with 6, 12, 24, 48 or 96 wells, and flasks with surface areas of up to 175 cm2. The BioLite products feature a cell culture surface for cell attachment and growth, providing a cost effective product to culture standard cell lines. As a result, researchers have access to the full range of Thermo Scientific cell culture products for both standard and critical applications.

Tests have proved the BioLite products comparable to other economically-priced brands of cell culture products, and able to double time and cell morphology for both HEK and VERO cells. The BioLite cell culture products offer researchers the flexibility to choose the culture format that best meets the requirements of their applications. For more information, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/biolite.

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.